Cyclops, or Scott Summers, is one of the most popular yet polarizing characters in the X-Men universe. In a way, he is the prodigy of Professor Xavier, and is also one of his most gifted students. He was the leader of the X-Men for quite a while, until a few of the team members couldn’t put up with his way of leading any longer. He is considered the “model” member of X-Men, though many don’t believe in his ideologies. He is pragmatic, but authoritarian, leading the group with an iron fist. If people don’t like his way, they can kick rocks, and that happens on multiple occasions. Because of his leadership style, he often gets in conflict with some of his staunchest allies, such as Wolverine, Storm, Beast, and even Professor X himself. There are times throughout his long history when it really seems like Cyclops has no friends.
But he is still one of the original five X-Men, and all the other four are some of his best friends, as you’ll soon see. Relationship-wise, he is one of the most sought after men out there, though he frequently screws that up, too. He was husband to Jean Grey, had an affair with Emma Frost, and became attached to a Jean clone, Madelyne Pryor. With a track record like that, it’s no wonder the women in his life also frequently dislike him. He has brothers he can’t get along with, and children who disagree with his actions. At times, it seems like Cyclops can do no right. With that in mind we put together of all the mutants that he can't get along with, as well as those that he's close to. He's so polarizing, in fact, that you'll see a lot of the same names on both sides of the coin...
20 GETS ALONG WITH: WOLVERINE
The dichotomy and relationship between Cyclops and the most popular X-Man, Wolverine, has been tumultuous, to say the least. Logan and Scott are very competitive, and much of their animosity toward each other sprouts from the love triangle surrounding Jean Grey.
Still, Scott Summers comes to respect Wolverine more than maybe anyone else, and in that, “Short-Stuff” (Cyclops’ term of endearment for Wolverine) can truly be called one of Scott’s best friends. Though they have a definite love-hate relationship, the two powerful X-Men did get close, in time. There are some things that they need to get over, if it’s possible, but the respect they have for each other will always be there, even if it’s sometimes expressed as taunting and bullying.
19 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: STORM
Here’s another love-hate relationship that can’t be ignored. Scott Summers and Ororo Munro are two of the most respected and powerful members of the X-Men. Storm became the Headmistress of the Jean Grey School, and Cyclops was (at one point), the leader of the X-Men. But they also clashed quite often because of their differing leadership styles.
After freeing the X-Men from captivity from Magneto, and being captured by the White Queen, the X-Men clash with Dark Phoenix. She is made deputy leader of the X-Men, and supplanted Cyclops as leader. Cyclops comes back to take back his leadership role in a duel, but loses, making her the de facto leader of the X-Men for most of her time on the team.
18 GETS ALONG WITH: ANGEL
As if his name didn’t give it away, Warren Worthington III was born into an extremely wealthy family before he sprouted wings and donned a blond wig to become Angel. He also has the distinction of being one of the five founding X-Men members. Warren was attracted to Jean Grey, but when he realized her love for Cyclops, he stopped pursuing her.
He and Cyclops were good friends, and after Cyclops became co-headmaster of Professor Xavier’s Institute, he left it up to Warren to establish a high-profile charity to improve mutantkind’s image. He supported Cyclops’ team during the "Messiah Complex" arc, during X-Force with his Archangel/Death persona, and he’s been one of Cyclops’ best friends since the beginning.
17 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: HAVOK
Scott Summers and his younger brother, Alex Summers, have a very shaky relationship. He and Scott were both pushed out of the flaming plane that ended their parents, with parachutes, though Alex became adopted and Scott did not. As they grew up, Havok became very resentful of Cyclops’ authoritarian attitude and reputation as a model member of the X-Men, and they basically became enemies.
Havok has a love-hate relationship with the entire X-Men team, but his focal hate is pointed at his older brother. Havok even became involved with Madelyne Pryor, after Cyclops divorced her to get back together with Jean Grey. They were friends at times, but at Cyclops’ funeral, Havok was seen observing the funeral from afar with Emma Frost.
16 GETS ALONG WITH: BEAST
Another one of the founding members of the X-Men, Hank was originally one of Cyclops’ best friends. Hank has not only been part of X-Men, but also an Avenger, a Defender, and an X-Factor member. Though they’ve had their (extreme) differences (which we’ll get into in a bit), there’s no questioning that Hank and Cyclops were best pals to start.
Most recently, Dr. McCoy returned to the School for Gifted Youngsters after it had been renamed the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, where he became Vice Principal. Hank is a “tough love” kind of friend, who tells Cyclops what he needs to hear, rather than what he wants, and that often leads to disagreements…
15 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: CABLE
Though we mentioned earlier that Cyclops and Cable are often emotionally linked together, and speak telepathically with one another, that emotion is not always… kind. During missions, Cable and Cyclops famously get at each other’s throat, threaten each other, and generally don’t get along. It isn’t until one of them is in mortal peril that the other feels any sort of attachment.
During a fight with the Red Hulk, where Cable infected him with a techno-organic virus, Cyclops denounces his actions and attacks him with Wolverine and Spider-Man. He was nearly dropped by the Avengers, until Cyclops asked to bring him home to Utopia.
14 GETS ALONG WITH: PROFESSOR XAVIER
Though Professor Xavier might be considered the surrogate father to ALL X-Men, it’s safe to say that he had a special relationship with Cyclops, and in turn Cyclops respected him more than any other mutant. Their father-son type of bond goes so deep that when Professor X finally stepped down as leader of the X-Men, it was a no-brainer to make Cyclops the leader.
He is responsible for founding the X-Men with the first five members: Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, and Marvel Girl, and Cyclops was his “eyes” on the field, so to speak. Indeed, it was Professor X who sacrificed himself and perished battling the Dark Phoenix as it tried taking over Scott Summers, like only a true friend would.
13 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: PROFESSOR XAVIER
Though Professor X and Cyclops have a father-son type of relationship, and they both respect each other absolutely, there are storylines where their friendship is not reciprocated. There is one iconic showdown that has an unfortunate end, during the “Avengers vs. X-Men” storyline. The Phoenix Force splits into five pieces and bonds with Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus, and Magik (who become known as the Phoenix Five).
Cyclops and Emma Frost eventually come to possess the full Phoenix Force, leading Professor X to confront them both. In the confrontation, the possessed Cyclops took out his mentor, and the Phoenix Force is subsequently forced to abandon Cyclops by the efforts of Hope Summers and Scarlet Witch.
12 GETS ALONG WITH: ICEMAN
Bobby Drake is one of the founding members of the X-Men and has been fighting for the peaceful coexistence of mutants and humans for most of his life. He’s also joined groups such as the Defenders, the Champions, and X-Factor, but he’s an X-Man, first and foremost.
Though he seems to be forgotten in many X-Men arcs and stories, he was one of Cyclops’ first and best friends. Bobby, Warren, Hank, and Scott grew up together, with Bobby as the youngest, so it makes sense that Iceman would be one of Cyclops’ best friends. They were also part of the original X-Factor team together.
11 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: VULCAN
Gabriel Summesr is the third Summer brother, younger than both Havok and Cyclops. Vulcan first became a part of the X-Men through the team formed by Petra, Darwin, and Sway, though Petra and Sway would pass away rather quickly. He survived the sentient island Krakoa, only to return to exact revenge on Professor X, going so far as taking Rachel Summers and Cyclops.
There was another time that he renounced Cyclops as his brother, effectively disowning him. If that’s not a telltale sign of “we don’t get along,” then we don’t know what is. Most recently, Vulcan has become Emperor Vulcan of the Shi’ar Empire, working to restore it to its former glory until a war erupted.
10 GETS ALONG WITH: JEAN GREY
The relationship between Jean Grey and Cyclops overshadows many of the X-Men storylines. Their relationship has been tumultuous and rocky at times, but they’ve stuck together (and had comics devoted just to them) for the most part. Scott is always on Team Jean, and Jean is always on Team Scott. First they were members of the original X-Men together, as Cyclops and Marvel Girl.
Then they were married, and she has an alternate timeline daughter with Scott named Rachel Summers. She also wields the Phoenix Force with incredible power, making her one of the strongest mutants. When she "perished", it messed up Cyclops up for a long time. She was resurrected by the Phoenix Force during Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey.
9 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: DARK PHOENIX
Dark Phoenix is an upcoming X-Men movie, so we’ll see what is done with the powerful Phoenix Force. Most famously, the Phoenix Force infests Jean Grey, after her sacrifice as Marvel Girl, where she is “reborn” as Phoenix during “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” Now it is true that Dark Phoenix doesn’t get along with anyone -- the dark, cosmic force is a bane on humanity, but Cyclops seemed to catch the brunt of her Omega-powered force.
In the films, Scott was ended by Jean’s Dark Phoenix power, when she unwittingly lost control during a moment of passion between the two, though in the comics, he perished because of the Terrigen toxic clouds.
8 GETS ALONG WITH: EMMA FROST
Emma Frost, also known as the White Queen, began as a supervillain and foe of the X-Men, but eventually evolved into one of the X-Men’s central members and leaders until the events of "Inhumans vs. X-Men", where Cyclops passed away in Emma’s arms from the Terrigen Mists, and she projected an illusion of him to declare war against the Inhumans in Scott’s name.
She has a deeply tense and muddled relationship with Cyclops, but at their best, she is definitely one of the people he’s friendliest with. After all, Cyclops did have an affair with Emma while he was still married to Jean Grey, and that caused quite a lot of tension. She did eventually reach a truce with Jean when she offered to help her daughter, Rachel Grey, hone her telepathic abilities.
7 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: MADELYNE PRYOR
Madelyne Pryor was a supervillain to start, featured as an off-and-on antagonist to the X-Men. She became the love interest and first wife to Cyclops, and became a long-standing member of the team, until a series of traumas effected the relationship. She was abandoned by her husband for Jean Grey, she lost her infant son, and she discovered she was a clone of Jean Grey, which led her to becoming a villain.
Together, they are the parents of Nathan Summers (Cable). A lot of what fractured their relationship is Scott’s fault, with him not wanting to be a parent or retire from X-Men life, but either way, it came to be that they were no longer on friendly terms.
6 GETS ALONG WITH: COLOSSUS
Colossus is a Russian mutant and member of the X-Men who can transform into a metallic giant, making him the physically strongest member of the group. He becomes friends with Scott Summers, because he is virtuous and Scott sees that. He did join Magneto’s Acolytes after his younger sister passed away, but he eventually came back to the X-Men at the behest of Cyclops.
There are multiple scenes in the comics that depict their friendship, and he consistently fights for Cyclops, as part of the Phoenix Five, as Cyclops’ X-Men during "Fear Itself", and in other situations where his strength and resolve are needed.
5 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: QUICKSILVER
Pietro is the twin brother of Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch. They are the children of a Romanian couple, and as adolescents they discovered their abilities. They joined Magneto’s Brotherhood and helped him combat the original X-Men, until they sought refuge with the Avengers. Though he didn’t have too many interactions with Cyclops, when he did, they were generally bad.
First, they skirmished against each other, until Pietro and Wanda realized Magneto was the true villain. And though Jean Grey and Cyclops opened their home to Pietro and Wanda, sadly, in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Quicksilver took out Cyclops as he’s giving a speech in Washington D.C., using the same bullet that ended Scarlet Witch. This was of course during an alternate universe of the Marvel Universe, featuring a version of the character warped by constant attacks from Magneto.
4 GETS ALONG WITH: CABLE
Cyclops can be very cold and detached to many of the X-Men, thanks to his pragmatic attitude and his role as a leader, but one character he always seems to have an emotional attachment to is his son-from-the-future, Nathan Summers, aka Cable. A powerful mutant telepath and telekinetic, Cable has been fighting in wars most of his life.
He and Scott communicate telepathically on several different occasions in the comics. Though their relationship can be quite rocky at times, it’s still true that Scott has a deep affection for his son, which is shown time and time again, when he’s in danger or when he sees Cyclops in danger.
3 DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH: BEAST
Even though we spoke about how Scott Summers and Dr. Hank McCoy were best friends, that wasn’t always the case. Hank is a world authority on biochemistry and genetics, so he knows a thing or two about the X-Men and their origins. And when Scott begins to lead the X-Men with an iron fist, turmoil ensues.
During the "Utopia" story, Beast becomes increasingly disillusioned with Cyclops’ leadership and methods, such as allowing Magneto to become a member of the X-Men. This results in Beast leaving the X-Men for the first time. From this time forward, he’s always had issues with Cyclops, going so far as to team with the Avengers during the Avengers vs. X-Men miniseries.
2 GETS ALONG WITH: STORM
Ororo Munro began life as a thief after she lost her parents in a plane crash. She would eventually become worshipped as a goddess in Africa, and then join the X-Men, maturing to the point of leading the group at times. She’s split leadership with Cyclops in the past, eventually forming the group X-Treme X-Men, and she became Queen of Wakanda at one point, as well as the Headmistress of the Jean Grey School.
Storm and Cyclops have developed a strong friendship over the years, though it has been tested multiple times, and put aside due to the demands of leadership. Either way, Scott has tremendous respect for Storm and treats her as an equal, which he doesn’t do with many people.
1 DOESN'T GET ALONG: WOLVERINE
It should come as no surprise that Wolverine is at the top of the list of people who don’t get along with Cyclops. Their rivalry is legendary, far more than their friendship. All of this stems from the love triangle they share with Jean Grey -- Wolverine's unrequited love who is the wife of Cyclops.
In the X-Men comics, shows, and movies, Wolverine and Cyclops rarely get along, as their personalities are polar opposites. They battle each other so often that they sort of become nemeses. Eventually their conflict comes to a head during the “Schism” storyline, where Cyclops brings up Jean Grey and they get into a fight, all while being attacked by the Sentinel. Their ideological differences force them to leave the X-Men and form two different groups.